February 2019 - Wetland Sketches – Audiovisual Installation, Social Event
Presented at Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh
Created in collaboration with Peat Cultures
Presented at Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh
Created in collaboration with Peat Cultures
The incomplete drafts of an idea took the form of the on-going Wetland Sketches project. The project initiated as an event for World Wetlands Day on the second of February, 2019, by Kate Foster (Peat Cultures) and pantea. The project contributes to raising awareness about wetlands and their cultural and social importance.
Everyone is invited to contribute to Wetland Sketches sharing their sketches for/in wetlands using #wetlandsketches to highlight the project on social media. Sketches can be anything, a little drawing, a piece of writing, a previous project, or a day spent in a wetland.
The event stemmed from a sound installation sketch by pantea at Edinburgh College of Art. On a screen, works of Stephen McEvoy, Kerry Morrison, Hannah Imlach, Kate Foster, David Borthwick and others were shown who contributed to Wetland Sketches by using the hashtag on their social media. Some of these artists shared their work in progress or stretched their ideas out.
photo by Javad Khaleghzadeh
The installation at Edinburgh College of Art was dedicated to the single Siberian Crane that takes a two-month journey of 5000 KM from Uvat in western Siberia to Fereydunkenar wetlands in Iran for the past few years. Fereydunkenar wetlands are among the “few remaining freshwater wetlands in Iran” protected by “Guardians of the cranes,” who are local trappers. Fereydunkenar wetland is a region designated as Ramsar Site and “Indigenous Community Conserved Area.”
Wetlands act as ‘ecological supermarkets’ and ‘airports’ for many species that visit wetlands occasionally. With the loss of this habitat, many species who might not even live in wetlands cannot make their way through different stages of their lives.
The crane, who is the only remaining one to take this route, has been called "Omid" by the locals, which means hope in Persian. He showed up again in November 2018 after years of absence caused by his partner's death. The locals celebrated his presence, who brought Omid (hope) with himself.
